What Does It Mean to Be Redeemed?

Redeemed has a few definitions. In a secular sense, redeemed means to get or win back, to free from captivity, to release from blame or debt, or to exchange for something better. When I exchanged my winning Skee-Ball tickets for a stuffed animal, I redeemed them. Sometimes, we can redeem behavior, as in when we do something wrong, we can redeem ourselves by doing something right to make up for it. Or, in cases of compensation, if we miss a day of work, we can redeem ourselves and still earn our full paycheck by working on our day off.

In a biblical sense, redemption is similar but has far weightier implications. According to the Essential Bible Dictionary, redemption refers to God’s merciful and costly action on behalf of his people. For example, God delivered Israel from Egypt.

In Exodus 6:6, God said to the people through Moses, “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.’”

In Leviticus 25:47-49, we’re told that redemption is part of God’s plan for society. If an Israelite becomes poor and must sell themselves to a foreigner, they retain the right of redemption after they have sold themselves. One of their relatives may redeem them, or if they prosper, they may redeem themselves.

Later, Christ’s death on the cross served as redemption — payment of our sin-debt — to ensure our salvation (Mark 10:45).

What Does It Mean That Christ Redeemed Us?

It’s hard for some of us to understand this concept of redemption when it comes to Christ, but it helps first to understand that our sins are offenses against God – punishable offenses with consequences of death. When we committed these sins, wrongs that every one of us commit regardless of how kind or how close to God we are, we became slaves, destined only for death.

But Jesus claimed us as his own, and he willingly traded his life for us. Jesus, who was blameless and perfect, suffered a criminal’s humiliating and painful death on a cross, and his act paid our sin-debt.

As Jesus explained in Matthew 20:28, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

And as Paul described it further in Colossians 1:13-14, “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Jesus purchased us from the slavery of sin. In him, we have eternal life and can be called “children of God” (1 John 3:1).

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In the Garden of Eden, we know God shared a beautiful relationship with humans, who he created. But humans went astray and separated themselves, and us all, from God when they were driven out of the garden for disobeying God’s command.

God’s plan of salvation is that Jesus — who is part of himself, part of the holy trinity that is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — would be a worthy sacrifice that could atone for the people’s sins. Part God, part human, only Jesus’ blood could redeem humanity.

When we choose to follow Jesus, when we believe, repent, and willingly become Christians, we get to belong to him. We get to share in his resurrection and get to have a place in God’s house when we die, too (John 3:16).

God redeemed his people elsewhere throughout Scripture, but all of it pales in comparison to the permanent, forever redemption seen through the sacrifice of Jesus.

For example, in the story of Noah and the ark (Genesis 6-8), God warned about the coming destruction of the world. God rescued those who ultimately repented and believed, those who lived righteously (Noah and his family).

In Genesis 22, we see another example of God’s redemption in how God provided a ram in place of Isaac, Abraham’s son who was supposed to be sacrificed.

In the Book of Ruth, we see how Boaz served as “kinsman redeemer” in agreeing to marry Ruth, a foreigner.

In Jeremiah 18, we see how God (the master potter) remade the first pot into something better.

All of this merely points to the main redemption story in Scripture: us and Jesus.

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Here are a few more Bible verses about redemption:

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

“And through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—” (Colossians 1:20-22).

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

“You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

“And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood — to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:24-26).

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Every one of us has the opportunity to share in the redemption offered through the blood of Jesus. All we have to do is accept it. Redemption is a gift. It is nothing we can earn.

The Bible tells us, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

All we must do is confess our sins and turn to Jesus, accepting the gift of salvation.

This means leaving our old way of living behind. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

We must turn from the old, leaving it all behind, to follow him, striving to live like him and model his ways always.

Here is a prayer for redemption:

Lord,

Thank you for the precious gift of salvation. I know I can do nothing to earn this, and I am so grateful. Thank you for loving me in spite of my sins. Thank you for allowing me to have a place in your heavenly kingdom. Help me to turn from my old, sinful ways to embrace the fresh new life you planned for me.

Amen.

While earning tickets for Skee-Ball wins was fun when I was a kid, I’d give them all away in an instant, for they are no comparison to the eternal life Jesus redeemed for us when he died on the cross for us.

Thank you, Lord, for such a gift.

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